I think I killed my MSI Z97 U3 PLUS Motherboard!!!

[Sasqui]

He 'wants to play games' this weekend...

EXACTLY... I'd also like to say I flashed an EEPROM and got a computer working... with a little help from friends at TPU

of course, except the ChipSelect switch for dual BIOS

I hate you

 

[silentbogo]

I hate you

Next thing we are going to teach you is how to mod your motherboard to have as many BIOSes as you want

 

[Solaris17]

the cool thing about the programmers is if your board doesnt allow you to save profiles you can even dump the BIOS after you config it so if you ever somehow mess it up you can just flash it back.

sure did recommend the flash cat. Just remember to get at us incase its blanked and we can help you switch it to DFU mode and flash the SPI programming to the controller.

 

[Sasqui]

the cool thing about the programmers is if your board doesnt allow you to save profiles you can even dump the BIOS after you config it so if you ever somehow mess it up you can just flash it back.

sure did recommend the flash cat. Just remember to get at us incase its blanked and we can help you switch it to DFU mode and flash the SPI programming to the controller.

First thing I did before flashing was write out the original BIOS to the thumb drive. I'm patting myself on the back lol.

What is DFU?

 

[kurosagi01]

What is DFU?

Can't really help you with your mobo but DFU = Device Firmware Upgrade generally

 

[Solaris17]

First thing I did before flashing was write out the original BIOS to the thumb drive. I'm patting myself on the back lol.

What is DFU?

Can't really help you with your mobo but DFU = Device Firmware Upgrade generally

yup the flash cat can do other things other then SPI, it can also flash NAND JTAG and some others. so sometimes when you buy a new device the units controller will be blank. So we just have to grab the provided software package from flashcat themselves and flash the flashcat if you will to tell it we will be working with SPI devices. Since all fo those different modes (JTAG, NAND, SPI etc) speak different languages if you will. We want it to speak SPI so it can talk to your bios chip.

 

[Sasqui]

yup the flash cat can do other things other then SPI, it can also flash NAND JTAG and some others. so sometimes when you buy a new device the units controller will be blank. So we just have to grab the provided software package from flashcat themselves and flash the flashcat if you will to tell it we will be working with SPI devices. Since all fo those different modes (JTAG, NAND, SPI etc) speak different languages if you will. We want it to speak SPI so it can talk to your bios chip.

Aside from all the acronyms, it sounds pretty straightforward

 

[jboydgolfer]

asrock has plenty of boards without a debug led display

I can't say yes or no to that (because I haven't looked into it) but I was specifically speaking to this thread & the Z type motherboard series (which I have owned many of from asrock & every one had Dr. debug not to mention even the H motherboards I've owned had Dr. debug , all from asrock). Of course its anecdotal (but thats obvious.) even the $40 h110m has drdebug. im curious now , which of their boards DONT have Dr debug??

hell, my board actually has more than one bios built in from factory...i didnt even know what the switch was.

 

[infrared]

Good luck Sasqui

 

[Sasqui]

Good luck Sasqui

I'll definitely be back with results. Wouldn't have even know if it wasn't for @Solaris17 ...he's offered to help when I get into the thick of using the FlashCAT

 

[Vario]

Why not just RMA the board and get a new one before you go down roads that could void any future RMA requests.

https://service.msicomputer.com/msi_user/support/rma_form.aspx

I don't think its worth RMAing the board. They might send him a refurb that performs worse than his current. He is best off fixing this himself, IMO. I don't see how anything he does will void, hes just flashing a bios.

 

[jaggerwild]

Bingo... MSI does have a backdoor into the EEPROM chip! I just ordered this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F2P9AS6/?tag=tec06d-20

View attachment 94167

and this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015W4PKR6/?tag=tec06d-20

View attachment 94166

LOLZ!
All you had to do is an over night CMOS clear, them gadgets are worthless sold by failure's. Another "TOMSHARDWARE" save.........

 

[silentbogo]

LOLZ!
All you had to do is an over night CMOS clear, them gadgets are worthless sold by failure's. Another "TOMSHARDWARE" save.........

...Only if used by whiners with no skills.
Overnight CMOS clear? I won't even ask why....

 

[Solaris17]

LOLZ!
All you had to do is an over night CMOS clear, them gadgets are worthless sold by failure's. Another "TOMSHARDWARE" save.........

eeprom flashers arent worthless, they save tons of hardware. Dont think its a gimmick because its something you clearly dont have enough experience with. Overnight CMOS clear....on a chip that has corrupt data on it...are you from TOMS?

 

[eidairaman1]

What does Dr. debug say when you power on?

I only buy asrock motherboards (so excuse me) is it not common for all motherboards to come with Dr. debug nowadays?

My board didn't in 2014

 

[Sasqui]

eeprom flashers arent worthless, they save tons of hardware. Dont think its a gimmick because its something you clearly dont have enough experience with. Overnight CMOS clear....on a chip that has corrupt data on it...are you from TOMS?

Ok, don't mention that name here! Lol. You should post the vid you sent me. I'm a believer

 

[eidairaman1]

I say breadboard this rig for starters, disconnect power completely, check your cpu installation, ram etc, reseat everything, find out what the primary display connector is. Make sure the monitor is on the correct input. Do a clear cmos with battery inserted, then remove it. Wait a few hours, reinsert battery then move bios jumper back to correct position. Only have mouse and keyboard hooked up with monitor, try starting, if no dice try a bios reprogram as @Solaris tried or rma the board stating it wont post...

 

[Sasqui]

I say breadboard this rig for starters, disconnect power completely, check your cpu installation, ram etc, reseat everything, find out what the primary display connector is. Make sure the monitor is on the correct input. Do a clear cmos with battery inserted, then remove it. Wait a few hours, reinsert battery then move bios jumper back to correct position. Only have mouse and keyboard hooked up with monitor, try starting, if no dice try a bios reprogram as @Solaris tried or rma the board stating it wont post...

Seeing how the problem started immediately after rebooting from what looked like a successful flash, I have my doubts about ripping the guts out. That said, if I have time Friday, that's what I'll probably do. I don't even know what the board has for a warranty, but an RMA is my very last resort.

 

[Solaris17]

Ok, don't mention that name here! Lol. You should post the vid you sent me. I'm a believer

I mean @davidm71 brought his foxconn nano back to life like last week.

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/bad-flash-foxconn-nt-525-netbox-paperweight-now.238615/

@silentbogo remembers that too. maybe @jaggerwild should ask that happy camper how snakeoil that epprom flasher result was.

 

[Sasqui]

I mean @davidm71 brought his foxconn nano back to life like last week.

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/bad-flash-foxconn-nt-525-netbox-paperweight-now.238615/

@silentbogo remembers that too. maybe @jaggerwild should ask that happy camper how snakeoil that epprom flasher result was.

That thread was a fun read, and positive results too.

 

[jaggerwild]

...Only if used by whiners with no skills.
Overnight CMOS clear? I won't even ask why....

If you googled Easy Z97 fix in this sub form.

 

[eidairaman1]

Seeing how the problem started immediately after rebooting from what looked like a successful flash, I have my doubts about ripping the guts out. That said, if I have time Friday, that's what I'll probably do. I don't even know what the board has for a warranty, but an RMA is my very last resort.

Ok on another perspective, to work with a programmer you will want the board laying horizontally on a non conductive table out in the open with bright light, no shadows over your eeprom contacts when you repro the chip. If it was possible Id go back to plcc chips, why the market got away from them drives me nuts

 

[ShiBDiB]

I don't think its worth RMAing the board. They might send him a refurb that performs worse than his current. He is best off fixing this himself, IMO. I don't see how anything he does will void, hes just flashing a bios.

What? His current literally doesn't work at all..

 

[Vario]

What? His current literally doesn't work at all..

If its just a bios problem it will perform great once he gets a bios successfully onto it. Doing an RMA and he might get a previously actually physically damaged and then repaired board.

 

[Sasqui]

If you googled Easy Z97 fix in this sub form.

Link?

If its just a bios problem it will perform great once he gets a bios successfully onto it. Doing an RMA and he might get a previously actually physically damaged and then repaired board.

Spot on, not to mention shipping costs and time

I'm very much looking forward to diving into the flash-it-myself route